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Crazy run-in in the supermarket!

The Accidental Shopper: Well, looks like Monday has now become supermarket-sweep day. As you may now be aware, I really don’t like spending a lot of time in supermarkets. I always go equipped with a shopping list to (a ) cut down on wasted time, and (b) stop myself going off-piste to buy something I don’t need – I have heard of people writing their list according to the layout of the supermarket they plan to visit; thus avoiding the “crisis” of missing anything essential. I haven’t evolved into that type of shopper yet, (but I see that fast approaching!) So, I dump the kids at school, head out to a business meeting and stuff the list in my pocket, just in case I felt the urge! I had incidentally spent some time at the weekend thinking through what I was going to cook for the evening meal, and of course what was I going to put in those beloved lunchboxes each day!!

At around midday I entered our supermarket in the next town. Half way around I realised I needed to hurry up or I would be late for the next appointment. OK, almost finished, I just needed a couple more items then I could find that girl with no queue at the checkout and be on my way! I needed those essential kiddie snacks for playtime, the ones that count as one of your five a day – “fruit flakes” they are called or “school bars” are also good. What rotten luck, the shelves looked bare. Must have been raided on Saturday/Sunday and not yet replenished. Hang on, I thought to myself. Looks like a couple of rogue bags got away right at the back on the top shelf. Too high to reach by myself. How on earth am I going to get them in my trolley without being arrested for climbing-up the shelves?By this stage, I really did need to be getting to that checkout, but I did need those bags too. No sign of any staff available close by – typical! Never there when you want them! Only a small crowd of young mothers in the bakery aisle bribing their off-spring with some tasty doughnuts in an attempt to hold the peace. Just as I was contemplating how to get onto the top-shelf, a rather sporty shopper was fast approaching, “determination” was written across her forehead, head down, hair spiked-up for combat. She grabbed the shelf strip as a weapon, and frantically started poking at the back of the shelf, intent on bringing the rogue bags down. From where I stood, all I could do was gape at her. One bag came over the edge. We thought it was blackcurrant flavour from the purple packaging. I caught that….but it was yoghurt-coated raisin, she visibly screwed up her face in disappointment. I hurriedly came out with some positives, saying “oh, we haven’t tried those before. Great! I’ll take those!”, in my trolley, bye-bye.She then fought some more with her shelf strip and brought the second bag down – her favourite : Yoghurt coated blackcurrant. Phew! Thank goodness for that! win-win! One bag each! Seen enough, legged to the checkout, suddenly afraid she may change her mind: she delivered so both were hers…then I remembered it wasn’t an episode of Gladiators, just monday in suburbiaI promptly found myself a queue, and as luck would have it (and this has now happened for the last three times I have visited this store!), the “checkout is now closing” sign was placed after me! Yes! a result! Back out into the blazing sun, dodging the cars as I rushed to get my trolley back to my car in a straight line! Load the car, race home, unload perishables into the fridge, the other bags were left on the kitchen floor. Then off again to the next task. I’ll have to sort it later!Good result, small things, small pleasures!